YAOUNDE, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon said on Friday that its armed forces have arrested "several" separatist fighters in the restive Anglophone region of Northwest.
The arrests were made during an operation to flush out separatists from their hiding places after investigations revealed that they were planning to attack "several" gendarmerie brigades in the region, according to the army.
"A preventive operation led to the arrest of several separatist terrorists and the seizure of various materials," the army said.
Armed separatists have been clashing with government forces in the region since 2017 to create an "independent" nation in the country's Anglophone regions of Southwest and Northwest.
On Thursday, local officials said troops have been deployed to Esu, a locality of the region, after suspected separatist fighters attacked a convoy, killing a prominent traditional leader and his wife. ■
